PFF’s Bottom 5 Arizona Cardinals player grades from Week 1’s loss to Commanders

The Arizona Cardinals couldn’t quite walk away with the W in Week 1, and perhaps the result would have differed if a few players stepped up.
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs (9) is hit by
Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs (9) is hit by / Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Cardinals definitely didn’t look their best in yesterday’s loss to the Washington Commanders, and more than a few players could have put forth a better effort. One of those players was Josh Dobbs, who we spoke extensively about following yesterday’s 20-16 loss

However, PFF also didn’t think highly of the Cardinals stopgap, handing him a low grade of just 44.4. So who joined Dobbs as the lowest-graded players on the team this past week? Keep reading, and you will meet the rest of them. 

Rashee Rice, Josh Woods
Kansas City Chiefs v Arizona Cardinals / Michael Owens/GettyImages

Bottom 5 Arizona Cardinals players from Week 1 per PFF

1 - Josh Woods: 25.9

Josh Woods is primarily a special-teamer, and it won’t surprise me if he reprises that role on a full-time basis at some point this season. However, Woods saw 39 snaps on defense yesterday and just six on special teams - 55% to 22%, respectively, per Pro-Football-Reference.

The Cardinals may end up rolling with Krys Barnes, who dropped to second on the depth chart in the days leading up to the game. Barnes saw just 19 snaps on defense, good for just 22%, while 82% of his snaps (22) occurred on special teams. 

2 - Elijah Wilkinson: 30.7

The offensive line struggled all afternoon, but no one put up a performance as poor as Elijah Wilkinson, who scored a full 16.2 points lower than the next-lowest graded lineman. Newcomers Ilm Manning and Keith Ismael are currently the backups at guard, so don’t expect Wilkinson to lose his job any time soon. 

However, Manning is especially intriguing, so if Wilkinson toils through repeat performances, don’t be shocked if there is an inevitable position switch. Ideally, Wilkinson gets it together next week in a game against a New York Giants team that looks very winnable.